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Prison Sponsorship

WHAT IS PRISON SPONSORSHIP?Prison Sponsorship is a part of the Hospitals & Institutions (H&I) committee, offering 12 step NA sponsorship BY POST, to NA members in prisons across the United Kingdom regardless of their physical environment or geographical location.

WE NEED SPONSORS NOW:We have inmates of both sexes who would like to communicate with an addict in Recovery. Do you have 2 years clean time? Do you have a sponsor & experience of working the 12 steps? To volunteer or find out how we do it please e-mail:or write to: PRISON SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE, c/o UKSO, 202 City Road, London, EC1V 2PH

Inmates who attend meetings can request a sponsor by filling in our 'SPONSOR REQUEST' post card, found on the literature table at meetings.

If there is no NA meeting or no ‘SPONSOR REQUEST’ cards, NA members can send a short letter providing their Name, Number and Contact details to the following address:

We will then be able to send them a 'Welcome Pack' with all the information needed as soon as possible.

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Posters advertising this service for prisons are available from

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If you would like to help us find sponsors for inmates we can send you some cards for your meeting. Please email

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For PROFESSIONALS & INSTITUTIONS:

If you would be interested in having an NA meeting in your establishment please call the Helpline on 0300 999 1212 & ask for contact details of the Chair of H&I

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GUIDELINES FOR SPONSORS:

In addition to observing the rules of the prison system the following are guidelines for us to follow when writing to addicts in prison seeking recovery through the 12 steps of NA.

1. In our introduction we qualify ourselves as addicts so that the addict in prison can get to know and identify with us. We let them know we are willing to correspond with them by letter and to act as a sponsor in order to guide them through the steps if they so choose.

2. We let them know that writing, like all forms of sharing, helps us as much as it helps them and that they are no longer alone.

3. We stay focused on recovery, offering them the solution not the problem.

4. Encourage them to attend any meetings held within their prison by the H & I committee.

5. If there is a desire to send a gift we suggest that only NA approved literature i.e. Basic Text, Just for Today etc be sent. Please be aware that some prisons will not allow this so check with your local UKPS rep first.

6. Always use the UKPS postal address for correspondence and never disclose your full name, address etc. Anonymity is kept by using our first name only (or a pen name if you prefer).

7. We never write anything we don’t want the whole world to know about. All mail could be opened by security within the prison system. We should always ask ourselves before writing anything personal “would I want everyone to know that I had said or done this?”

8. In the spirit of our 12th tradition we respect the anonymity of all sponsee’s.

9. As a UKPS sponsor we would suggest that you don’t do H & I service in the prison where your sponsee is held.

10. We also strongly suggest that you encourage your sponsee to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings upon their release and to obtain a meetings list either through UKPS or at an H & I meeting.